Executive Summary
- Malcolm Whitfield, serving 80 years for murder, has petitioned for a new trial with a hearing set for May 1.
- The defense argues the jury overlooked self-defense claims and the judge ignored rehabilitative potential.
- Whitfield is challenging a specific finding of “great bodily harm” that added 20 years to his sentence.
- The motion is a procedural requirement to clear the path for an appellate court review.
Malcolm Whitfield, a Streator resident currently serving an 80-year prison sentence for first-degree murder, appeared in La Salle County Circuit Court on Friday to formally request a new trial. Chief Judge H. Chris Ryan Jr. acknowledged the filing and scheduled a hearing for May 1 to address the arguments regarding the validity of the conviction and sentence.
According to court documents filed by Whitfield and his attorney, Public Defender Ryan Hamer, the motion for a new trial is based on three specific grounds. The defense argues that the jury failed to properly consider Whitfield’s claim of self-defense during the original proceedings. Furthermore, the filings assert that the court did not adequately weigh Whitfield’s potential for rehabilitation and placed excessive emphasis on the injuries sustained by the survivors of the shooting.
Whitfield was convicted for the shooting death of Shaquita Kelly and for injuring two other individuals. Court records indicate that the 80-year total sentence is comprised of a 60-year term for murder and a consecutive 20-year term for aggravated battery with a firearm. The additional 20 years resulted from a judicial finding that Kelly’s 20-year-old daughter sustained “great bodily harm.” The defense contends that a reversal of this specific finding could significantly reduce the sentence.
It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and the filing of post-conviction motions is a standard part of the judicial process.
Procedural Next Steps
The upcoming May 1 hearing serves as a critical procedural milestone in the post-conviction timeline. By exhausting options at the trial court level, including the motion to reconsider the sentence and verdict, the defense clears the necessary legal pathway for a future appeal. Unless the defense secures a reversal or a reduction in the finding of great bodily harm, Whitfield remains ineligible for release from the Illinois Department of Corrections until the year 2117.
